Sustainable change

Every project we commit to undertaking as a collective has an unrelenting focus: long-term impact. Unless the work we co-construct with our clients is focused on making a difference that will last well into the future, we’ll gracefully refuse the opportunity.

We help our client organisations to achieve authentic outcomes by supporting them to move from idea to reality through all of the levels of change required. This often includes addressing the leadership and individual development challenges that naturally arise from our projects.

Sustainable change exemplifies our intentionality as a global practice. We’re not interested in quick fixes. Rather, we ask: What has really changed? To measure this, we invest in, and are committed to ongoing evaluation of our work such as formal academic research.

Sam Symes

Sam holds a diverse suite of leadership experiences across educational, sporting and corporate sectors. Having built leadership experience in the finance industry as a business analyst and general manager, Sam brings a business structural form to his leadership in education.

As a successful sportsperson Sam’s natural leadership quality stood tall, quickly became a sports coach for elite athletes. Experiencing early career success as a coach and mentor, Sam went on to study a Bachelor of Education, graduating and becoming a classroom teacher. Having been teaching for 2 years Sam continued his passion for sports leadership, front-lining the development of sports programs for schools both in Australia and Canada.

Upon his return to education Sam was fast tracked into leadership with the Department of Education in Queensland as Principal and Deputy Principal in 4 schools, over the past decade. With over 20 years’ experience leading teams and forever passionate to develop human capability, Sam spends time immersed in both theory and practice not limited by opportunity. Sam’s unique experiences in leadership and human-centric systems driven coaching and support provides, clarity and purpose to the organisation.

With a passion to support teams to sustain conditions where people can work to their full potential technically, socially and commercially. With an innovative growth-mindset Sam is a passionate supporter of your organisation’s opportunities for continued growth and success.

Sam is the Director of Infinite Solutions Consulting firm, based in Brisbane

Philippa Woodhill

Philippa Woodhill specialises in connecting and supporting people from diverse sectors to contribute to social change. For over 20 years, Philippa has delivered on programs and initiatives in the health, education, rural and international development sectors. Her approach is intuitive and grounded in building strong relationships and community practices.

Philippa is a trained mediator, presenter and experienced facilitator, known for her capacity to engage in conversations across boundaries and jurisdiction. She carries a firm belief that true potential lies within the embrace of discomfort and new perspectives.

She has demonstrated her expertise in the creation of immersive learning and development opportunities to shift peoples’ understanding of themselves as people, as leaders and contributors. This work commenced as a secondary school teacher in Brisbane and has remained a core theme in all her work to date. Most recently responding to and leading collaborations with Government, industry, philanthropists, Indigenous and community organisations in the design and delivery of leadership and capacity building initiatives in Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Philippa is currently employed as Director of Partnerships at Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, leading business development and the stewardship of a growing portfolio of funding partners

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson has held significant executive leadership positions in education and commerce for the past three decades. Mike’s most memorable experience was as foundation Principal of Beerwah State High School. Creating and establishing a culture from day one, then growing, cultivating and developing that culture over seven years.

Following the success of Mike’s leadership as a Secondary Principal he was appointed District Director of Mooloolaba District on the Sunshine Coast. His position was responsible for the coaching and mentoring of Principals to improve student learning outcomes. This role amplified Mike’s capacity to coach Principals in executive and school leadership roles always focussing on the individual’s capacities and capabilities.

In 2000 Mike was given the opportunity to travel to Boston and study at the Harvard School of Government. This was a career changing experience. The experience of studying leadership had a huge impact on Mike. Mike’s tenure at Harvard opened up new experiences in consulting to Government Departments in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In 2001 Mike was appointed as Director of the Sunshine Coast Cooloola TAFE. This role involved strategic leadership and operational oversight of five campuses, 13,500 students and 157 full and part time staff.

In 2006 Mike moved into the world of commerce as General Manager Operations for a Hospitality Company. In 2008, Mike was promoted by the Board of Directors to Chief Operations Officer. Mike’s role as COO was an Executive Leadership role to lead the organisation both strategically and operationally.

Mike’s experiences in executive leadership positions in education and the commercial world have taught him that people are at the heart of any successful enterprise. How we relate to our staff, how we involve our staff is crucial in growing trust amongst staff. Creating a shared culture and developing a collaboratively constructed business strategy are two elements of a successful organisation

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Ruth Wageman

Ruth Wageman is one of the foremost scholars and practitioners studying and working with teams, especially leadership teams. Ruth’s work places particular emphasis on teams whose purpose is to solve complex problems and lead system transformation, especially in health and education. Ruth has been a professor at Columbia, Dartmouth, and Harvard, where she has led many original research programs about the design and leadership of teams. Widely published in both academic literature and in the business press, Ruth wrote “Senior Leadership Teams: What it Takes to Make them Great,” (HBS Press) with Deb Nunes, Jim Burruss, and Richard Hackman.
With Richard Hackman and Erin Lehman, Ruth designed the Team Diagnostic Survey, a powerful, well-validated assessment that measures the 6 Conditions for team effectiveness; she also leads accreditation workshops and supervises team development professionals in the use of the instrument in their practice.

Professor David Ng

David provides overall leadership, management and improvement in academic, student, and programs quality at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore. He was also the Associate Dean for Leadership Programs at NIE from 2004-2010. David’s expertise is in complexity leadership learning. His work in designing and implementing complexity theory in leadership learning has helped to establish Singapore’s Leaders in Education Program as a cutting-edge principal preparation program in the world. His fifteen years in leadership development in Singapore has contributed significantly to make Singapore one of the world’s highest-performing systems in PISA and other international standards. David has provided thought leadership, and advice on leadership learning, and leadership strategy in Australia, Germany, Vietnam, Middle East, and globally.

Nigel Nicholson

is Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, where he has had wide-ranging involvements in research, executive education and business. He writes, teaches, speaks and advises on leadership, family business, biography and legacy, executive development, management in finance, and interpersonal skills. Major books include Managing the Human Animal (Texere, 2000), introducing evolutionary theory to management and business; Traders: Risks, decisions and management in financial markets (Oxford University Press, 2005), Family Wars: Classic conflicts in family business and how to deal with them (Kogan Page, 2008), and The ‘I’ of Leadership: Strategies for seeing, being and doing (Jossey-Bass, 2013). All apply evolutionary ideas to business domains, which also feature in two of the London Business School’s major open enrolment programmes he has directed: Proteus and High Performance People Skills for Leaders. He has strong links with business in Africa and India.

Maggie Farrar CBE

Maggie has extensive experience in school leadership development and was previously Director for Leadership Development, Research and Succession Planning at the National College for School Leadership in England, and interim Chief Executive.

She has been instrumental in developing a school led self-improving system in England and has led the design and development of programs to support the growth of system leadership.

Maggie has worked with Ministries of Education and school leaders to develop standards for school principals in England, Australia and Brunei, and has led leadership development program all over the world.

She was awarded the CBE for services to education in 2014.

Heidi McKay

Is an emotional Intelligence Learning Specialist, classroom teacher and passionate driver of whole school wellbeing. She has dedicated herself to advocating for the explicit teaching of social and emotional skills in schools, offering professional learning that is theoretically grounded, but strongly based in practice. Heidi believes that behaviour education must be seen as the bedrock of academic learning and preparing children for life in a rapidly changing, plugged in world. Her goal is to improve teacher efficacy to support students to overcome the social and emotional barriers that impact their learning and wellbeing. Throughout her time as an Instructional Leader and Acting Assistant Principal, Heidi has lead school improvement through a focus on high impact improvement initiatives and collaborative strategic planning. Heidi has modelled, coached and mentored teachers, inviting observation, feedback, and a continuous cycle of reflection, collaboration and improved practice. She has developed an Emotional Intelligence Curriculum, Scope and Sequence and Assessment Schedule that has seen a significant positive shift in whole school culture and student learning. Heidi is a certified Six Seconds EQ facilitator and uses a solutions focused approach when supporting educators to solve problems of practice.

Professor Kenneth Leithwood

Kenneth Leithwood is Emeritus Professor at OISE/University of Toronto and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

His work on school leadership, educational policy and organisational change has been extensively published. He is the senior editor of both the first and second International handbook on educational leadership and administration (Kluwer Publishers, 1996, 2003).

Kenneth’s published books include, How school leaders contribute to student success (2017), Linking leadership to student learning (2012), Leading school turnaround (2010), Distributed leadership: The state of the evidence (2009), Leading with teachers’ emotions in mind (2008), Making schools smarter (2006) and Teaching for deep understanding (2006).

Among his awards, Professor Leithwood is the inaugural recipient of the University of Toronto’s Impact on Public Policy award, AERA’s 2011 Outstanding Leadership Researcher Award, and the 2012 Roald F. Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award from the University Council for Educational Administration.

Professor Allan Walker

Allan is an international expert and adviser to thebrowncollective. He has led the design, development and delivery of internationally acclaimed executive leadership programs in his various roles at Hong Kong Education University.
Allan has written extensively about educational administration and leadership as well as leadership development and learning. His work explores the relationship between culture and leadership.

Catherine McCullough

Catherine McCullough is the CEO of CMCLeadership, a firm specialising in executive coaching, dynamic workshops, and pragmatic speaking events across a range of leadership practices. She is an expert in the use of emotional intelligence and change management strategies to achieve success in relationships that drive positive results.

She understands the realities senior leaders experience and, most importantly, the leadership and emotional intelligence skills they need to develop to perform at the highest levels. Catherine also works with Dr Kenneth Leithwood, leveraging the Strong districts and their leadership research.

Both her proven experience and expertise have allowed her to successfully lead individuals and teams in their pursuit of increased self-awareness and organisational effectiveness. As a passionate communicator, she works with both organisational and senior leaders to create the strategies to reach their greatest potential.

Patrick McClure, AO

Patrick McClure has been a leader in the social purpose sector in Australia for over 20 years. While CEO of Mission Australia between 1997 and 2006, he grew the organisation to have a revenue of $300 million and 3000 staff providing employment, training, housing, youth and family services. He has also been CEO of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (NSW/ACT) and The Retirement Villages Group in Macquarie Capital.

He was a Member of the Prime Minister’s Community-Business Partnership from 1999–2007 and Commissioner of the Australian Fair Pay Commission. From 1968–77 he was a member of the Franciscan order.

Patrick was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2003 and awarded an Australian Centennial Medal in 2001. He is an AFR-BOSS True Leader, winner of the Equity Trustee’s EQT CEO Award for Lifetime Achievement and a Churchill Fellow.

Andrew Fuller

As a clinical psychologist, Andrew Fuller works with many organisations, schools and communities in Australia and internationally, specialising in the wellbeing of people, teams and families. Andrew has helped to increase resilience in over 600 communities and 190,000 young people in Australia as well as in Bhutan and the UK. He is a Fellow of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne.

Andrew is the MC of Generation Next a not for profit organisation who train over 6,000 people annually in mental health. He has also been a principal consultant to the national drug prevention strategy REDI, the ABC on children’s television shows, is an Ambassador for Mind Matters and has been an advisor to many organisations on the creation of respectful relationships and the reduction of bullying.

Emeritus Professor Patrick Duignan

Patrick has been involved in education for more than 45 years as a teacher, deputy principal and principal. He has also held a number of positions from lecturer to professor and dean in tertiary education institutions. He was a staff member at Memorial University (Canada), University of New England (Australia), University of Brunei Darussalam, and the Australian Catholic University (ACU). He is currently Emeritus Professor at ACU and Director of Leading to Inspire.

He has a distinguished national and international research, publication, consultancy and conference presentation record in the areas of management and leadership in not-for-profit organisations. His focus is on the areas of authentic and ethical leadership; creating rich and engaging learning environments; and building collective leadership capacity in service organisations.

He has published many books on educational leadership and three of his publications are included in the 2009 SAGE International Library of Educational Thought and Practice: (Sage designated them as among the most influential in shaping the discipline over previous forty years). Patrick also published his legacy paper, Authenticity in leadership: ideal, rhetoric, reality, in The Journal of Educational Administration (JEA) in April 2014 and was awarded ‘International Paper of the Year, 2015’ by Emerald Publishing U K.

Sir Kevan Collins

Sir Kevan Collins is Chief Executive of the Educational Endowment Foundation, and previously the Chief Executive in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. He led the English Primary Literacy Strategy as National Director.

Sir Kevan has international experience working in Mozambique, supporting the development of a national literacy initiative in the United States and advising Australia’s largest early year’s provider.

He completed his doctorate focusing on literacy development at Leeds University in 2005 and has been widely published on education and school leadership. Sir Kevan is a visiting Professor at University College London and was knighted in 2015 for his services to education.

Tony Ryan

Our Lead Consultants

Tony Ryan is an educator, a writer and a facilitator. He has presented in ten countries and worked with over 1000 schools, TAFEs, training organisations, corporate groups and universities in the past 20 years.

Tony is an Australian ambassador for School Aid, and the co-founder of School2School. He is a former national president of Professional Speakers Australia.

In his consultancy work, he provides support on; the application of digital technologies into everyday learning; the development of student engagement in everyday learning environments, and the analysis of the future of schooling systems.

John Marks

Our Lead Consultants

John Marks is founder and director of John Marks & Associates. With 30 years of experience in education and human resource management, John specialises in sourcing quality staff for primary and secondary independent, catholic and government schools. John’s scope of service and expertise includes evaluations, professional learning, workforce planning, recruitment and leadership coaching.

John has reviewed more than 200 Victorian government schools for the Department of Education and Training’s formal school review process—being a member of the original pilot group in 1996. As an accredited Catholic school reviewer with Catholic Education Melbourne, John has reviewed more than 80 Catholic primary, secondary and P-12 colleges since the formation of the School Improvement Framework in 2006.

He has also worked closely with independent schools as a Registered Schools Board and Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority reviewer. He is now reviewing schools for Catholic Education Office Ballarat. Since 2008, he has been a member of the National Curriculum Services school review team, which for the past three years has been heavily involved in priority and peer reviews. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Management.

Bernie Lloyd

Our Lead Consultants

Bernadette (Bernie) Lloyd is the Chair of the Board of Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank. Having moved into corporate governance after 30 years in education in Victoria, Bernie draws from her experience as an executive manager and prior to that, as a classroom teacher in rural and metropolitan schools.

Today, her leadership expertise resides in long-term strategic planning, building capacity in teams and sustaining and expanding growth in organisations. Bernie applies tenets of positive psychology and energy management to teaching and learning practice.

Through coaching and workshops in Queensland and Victoria, Bernie works to enable aspiring groups and individuals to become substantive leaders by building on positive environments that sustain, empower and inspire.

Wendy Graham

Our Lead Consultants

Wendy has worked in educational settings for more than 40 years—having held principal-class positions in both primary and secondary schools, and a regional role for Central Highlands Wimmera in Victoria for supporting schools in their strategic plans and data analysis.

During these years of leadership, Wendy was active in many forums for decision-making in school settings and also on many state-wide forums in which the focus was always on improving teaching and learning provision for schools.

Wendy now works as a consultant specialising in strategic planning processes, professional coaching, and leadership development initiatives. In recent years she has focused her work on developing and facilitating leadership programs across Australia.

She is currently working with thebrowncollective to deliver the Leading with integrity for excellence— Governance for Catholic schools’ program for the Brisbane Catholic Education system.

Philomena Billington

Our Lead Consultants

Philomena (Phil) is an educator, leader and facilitator with over 45 years’ experience in Catholic and Government education across 5 dioceses and 4 states of Australia, teaching in remote, rural and city locations. Phil retired as Director of Catholic Education (Sandhurst Diocese) at the end of 2014 and has had experience as a Principal and Deputy Director with responsibility for Catholic Identity & Stewardship, including the development of two Religious Education Curriculum documents in two Dioceses

Phil is passionate about education and especially in rural Australia, the Arts in education, parents as key partners and lay ministry within the Catholic Church. Phil is committed to supporting young people living with disability and encouraging a more inclusive society. She is committed to encouraging and supporting Catholic education, especially in rural dioceses.

To enable this ministry Phil has established Ministry Without Borders ensuring that pro bono support for parishes and charities is possible whilst still contributing to the educational mission. Phil’s ministry is focused on facilitating events, developing understanding of Mission & Catholic Identity, Religious Education, Spirituality & Theology, Leadership Development grounded in Catholic Identity, Strategic Thinking and Planning, Parent Engagement, Reviewing Systems & Senior Roles in CEOs, Pastoral Planning and supporting Parishes, Systems and Schools as requested.

Amanda Ypinazar

Principal Consultant

Amanda Ypinazar is a principal consultant at thebrowncollective and has built a professional reputation for delivering contemporary, research-based strategies for improved efficiency and leadership capacity.

Energetic and personable by nature, Amanda has a passion for organisational improvement and provides collaborative pathways for clients looking for a leading market edge.

With 30 years of experience in the education field as a leading principal, Amanda still believes the greatest investment any organisation can make is in their people.

Tom Robertson

Principal Consultant

Tom Robertson brings a full span of leadership and management experience into his role as a principal consultant at thebrowncollective.

Tom’s experience falls across all aspects of education service delivery and schooling. Beginning with his first appointment as a primary school teacher in Townsville, Tom has invested into growing his expertise through his roles as principal, district director, regional director and executive director.

He is also an external school reviewer with the Queensland Department of Education, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Council for Educational Leaders in Queensland, and a recipient of a Department of Education and Training Australia Day Achievement Award.

Dr Stephen Brown

Founder and Director

Dr Stephen Brown has an international and national reputation as an outstanding CEO and leader in the field of education. Thebrowncollective reflects both his collective experience over 30 years in policy, strategy and leadership—and that of the remarkable global network he has developed during this career.

To work with Stephen is to authentically experience the depth of his values and the height of his intellect. Wisdom, empathy, true collegiality and insight—all are generously offered, alongside his heartfelt commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of every client and their organisations.